Chair or settee bedstead



A ril 18, 1 H. A. FRASER El AL CHAIR OR SETTE'E BEDSTEAD Filed Jan. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenfm:

v April 18, 1933.

H. A. FRASER El AL ,903,918

CHAIR 0R SETTEE BEDSTEAD Filed Jan. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HENRY ARTHUR FRASER AND PETER FREDERICK CRIGI-ITON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND CHAIR OB SE'ITEE BEDSTEAD Application filed January 29, 1931, Serial No. 512,167; andin-Great Britain February 13,1930.

This invention relates to a chair or settee bedstead and has for one object to provide a chair or settee in which a series of sections may be arranged to be extended into line so as to produce a resilient bed surface which is uninterrupted for a length corresponding to at least two sections in distinction to a chair or settee bedstead which comprises a series of sections which are arranged to be extended so as to produce a bed surface interrupted at the junction of adjacent sections by a transversely disposed depression or bar which breaks the continuity of the supporting surface and renders the bed uncomfortable.

- a This invention consists in an improved construction of thistypeof chair or settee bedstead and anovel combination of parts described in the following description and specifically defined in the appended claims. In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a settee bed- 2 stead constructed in accordance with this invention with an outer side frame removed, Figure 2 is a plan of a settee as illustrated in Figure 1, and showing a portion of the fabric of the seat section of the settee broken away,

Figure 3 is a section of a detail on the line 3-8 of Figure 1, V

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view of a hinge connection betweena third section of the settee and the main frame thereof but drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a view at right angles-to Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a detail view upon a larger scale 49 of a part of the upholsteryspring arrangements of the seat section of the settee illustrated in Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6, Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the settee in the extended position,

Figure 9 is a plan view of the settee bedstead as shownin Figure 8 but with the upholstery removed,

Figure 10 is a plan view similar to a portion of Figure 9, but illustrating a modified form of the invention,-and

Figure 11 is a section ona line corresponding to the line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Referringto Figures 1 to 9, the settee bedstead comprises a frame consisting of upholstered side portions 1 connected together by transversely disposed members 2,3, t and 5. The back of the settee is constituted byan upholstered back section '7 and an upholstered third section 6 which are hinged together at 8. The third section 6 is pivotally connected to the frame of the settee by hinge connections 9 shown-in detail in Figures 4i and 5. Each hinged connection consists of a bolt 10 secured to the'section-(i and arranged to extendinto a slot 11 provided in abracket 12 securedto. the frame of the settee. The bolts 10 are provided with flattenedportions 13 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The back section 7 is'pivotally connected at 14 to the frame of an upholstered seat section 15 provided with front and rear legs 16, 17 to the lower endof which castors 18 are secured. V v

The frames of-theseat, back and third sections, 15, 7 and 6 consist of side members 19 which are connected together by a series of transverselyidisposed metal bars or wood slats 20 arranged to support upholstery springs 21 which are connected together at their upper ends in any suitable manner but preferably through the medium of flexible metal strips 22 and wires 23 in the manner described in the specification of our British Patent No. 327,561, dated April 10th, 1930, so that when the three sections are arranged in line as indicated in Figures 8 and 9 an uninterrupted resilient bed surface is formed.

The springs 21 disposed adjacent to the frame members 19are preferably connected thereto by springs 24 whilst the foremost row of springs of the seat section 15 are connected together by a wire 25 whichis secured at its ends to the-members 19 of the seat section 15.

In order to strengthen the frames of the back section 7 and seat section 15 some of the transverse metal bars 20 are constituted by angle bars as indicated at 200, whilst a transversely disposed member 26 is arranged to connect the lower ends of the legs 16 to one another and the end of the frame of the third section 6 which is pivotally connected to the frame of the settee, is provided with a transversely disposed member 27.

When in use as a settee the three sections are maintained in the position indicated in Figure 1 by notched'plates 28 secured to the legs 17 engaging with a pair of levers 29 which are pivotally mounted at 30 to the member 5 of the frame. The levers 29 are pivotally connected together at 31 and the free ends 32 thereof are arranged to extend beyond the side portions 1 of the frame of the settee so as to be operable from the exterior thereof. The levers 29 are maintained in the position indicated in Figure 3 by a spring 33 secured at one end to one of the levers 29 and at the other end to the member 5. The connection 31 of the levers 29 is arranged so as to permit movement of the levers 29 relatively to one another or if desired, a pin and slot connection may be provided between the said levers. In order to prevent the levers 29 from'being bent by movement of the seat 15 when the notched plates 28 are in engagement therewith, brackets 34 are provided upon the member 5 which are arranged to support the levers 29 adjacent the notched plates 28. The plates 28 are provided with a series of notches 28a with any of which the levers 29 may be engaged to enable the sections to be locked in the folded position with the back section 7 inclined to the vertical at any desired angle selected from the range provided by the said notches.

The free ends 32 of the levers 29 may be conveniently operated by foot or if desired they may be provided with portions extended in an upward direction and arranged so as to be conveniently operated by hand or any other convenient means may be utilized for operating the levers 29.

When the settee is to be converted into a bed the ends 32 of the levers 29 are depressed so as to disengage the same from engagement with the notched plates 28 whereupon the seat portion 15 is withdrawn from the frame of the settee upon the casters 18 so that the sections 6 and 7 will be moved into alignment with the seat section as indicated in Figures 8 and 9. Buffers 35 of rubber or other material are provided upon the frame members 19 of the back section 7 and are arranged in the extended position of the settee to be supported by brackets 36 provided upon the side portions 1 of the frame of the settee.

When the sections 6 and 7 of the settee are moved into the extended position as described, springs 37 secured at one end to the third section 6 and at the other end to the back section 7 are extended so that when the seat section is moved within the confines of the frame of the settee as indicated in Figure 1, the springs 37 assist this operation and the sections 6 and 7 are automatically folded one upon the other to constitute the back of the settee.

Loops 38 are provided upon the sections 6 and 7 adjacent to the hinges 8 and may be employed for breaking the oint between the sections 6 and 7 by pulling upon the said loops in an upward direction, whereupon the movement of any one of the sections 15, 6 and 7 will ensure that the bed surface is moved from the extended position indicated in Figure 8 into the collapsed or folded position indicated in Figure 1. Similarly, a movement of any one section is sufficient to move all the sections from the folded to the extended position.

Members 39 are arranged to extend inwardly from the frames 19 of the sections at points adjacent to the hinges 8 to support the upholstery at the top of the back of the settee in the folded position and a wire or wires 40 are secured to the rear edge of the row of springs 20 adjacent the hinges 8 for a similar purpose.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings the flattened portions 13 are provided upon the hinge bolts 10 so that when the settee is arranged in the position illustrated in Figure 1, the said bolts may be lifted out of the slots 11 in the brackets 1.2 and the sectionsr6 and 7 and 15 may be removed entirely from the frame of the settee, for example, for transport purposes, whilst when the settee is moved into the extended position the bolts 10 are moved into the position indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 4 and thereby ensure that the section 6 is securely fastened to the brackets 12.

The notched plates 28 may be extended as illustrated in Figure 8 and provided with a series of notches 28a to enable the sections tobe locked in the folded position with back section 7 inclined to the vertical at any (16- sired angle selected from the range provided by the said notches.

Referring to Figures 10 and 1.1, a modi fied construction of settee bedstead is illustrated in which the continuity of the flexible.

metal strips 22 is broken between the seat section 15 and the back section 7 and. the adjacent rows of springs 21 in proximity to the hinge 14 are connected together respectively by wires 40a similar to the wire 40 above referred to. The outer covering of fabric of the settee is carried down between the aforesaid scctions 15 and 7 and secured to the transverse angle bar member 20a which is located adjacent the pivotal connection 14 as clearly shown in Figure 11.

It will be observed that this construction, whilst providing a substantially continuous resilient bed surface, when the sections of the settee are in the extended position, al-

lows a relative movement between the upholstered sections 7 and 15 when the sections are moved into position for use as a settee. This movement affords a somewhat neater appearance of the settee than that obtainable with the construction shown in Figures 1 to 9.

It is to be observed that although the arrangement of the upholstery springs as illustrated is particularly convenient in. view of the flexibility of the strips 22 any other form of upholstery spring, link, woven wire or other arrangements may be employed for the purpose of forming an uninterrupted resilient surface and if desired, legs may be provided upon the sections 6 and 7 which are adapted to be lowered to a vertical position to support the sections when they are moved into the extended position.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a settee bedstead it is to be understood that this invention also comprises a chair bedstead similarly constructed thereto.

The back of the frame of the settee is preferably covered with fabric, all or a portion of which may be detachably secured thereto by means of press-studs or other fastening devices.

We claim:

1. A chair or settee bedstead which comprises in combination a seat section rigidly carried by movable supporting means, a back section hinged at its lower edge to said seat section and at its upper edge to a third section, said third section being hinged to a relatively stationary main frame solely by a fixed pivotal connection, said sections being movable into line to constitute a resilient bed surface, during which movement said:

pivotal connection constitutes the sole connecting means between the said sections and the frame, and a yielding control operatively connected to at least one section and which tends to move all the sections from the extended into the folded position, and latching mechanism operable to lock the sections in the folded position with the back section arranged at any selected inclination of a range thereof.

2. A chair or setteebedstead which comprises in combination a seat section rigidly carried by movable supporting means provided with castors, a back section hinged at its lower edge to said seat section and at its upper edge toa third section, said third section being hinged to a relatively stationary main frame solely by a fixed pivotal connection, said sections being movable into line to constitute a resilient bed surface and during which movement said pivotal connection constitutes the sole connecting means between the said sections and the frame, at least one spring operatively connected between at least two of the sections and which tends to move all the sections from the extended into the folded position, and latching mechanism including a displaceable member operable to extend into any one of a series of notches formed in a second member, whereby the 

